Call for co-ordinated anti-missile defence

05 May 2014

US deputy assistant secretary of space and defence, Frank Rose, said at a conference in Abu Dhabi on missiles and defence that Iran’s continued development of ballistic missile capabilities has made the development of a co-ordinated missile defence system for the Gulf Co-operation Council states a high priority.

“As long as Iran continues to develop ballistic missiles that can threaten the United States or deployed forces and our friends and allies in the region, we will work effectively with our partners here in the UAE as well as the rest of the Gulf to defend against that threat,” said Rose.

This view was echoed by Ret Maj Gen Khaled al-Bu Ainnan, a former commander of the UAE Air Force & Air Defence, who said the Arab states in the Gulf must improve their antimissile capabilities and there must be centralised operating procedures.